Most Promising Engineer at BEYA 2020 is an HBCU Grad

Monique Farrell is one of a growing number of diverse and talented scientists and engineers, making an impact through cutting-edge research, and promoting opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields to the community.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in 2014, she earned a spot in Norfolk State University’s Center for Materials Research, which provides graduate education in master’s and doctoral levels. There, she earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at just 24 years old.

"Honored to have been awarded Most Promising Engineer in Industry by the 2020 BEYA Conference. I am my ancestors' wildest dreams and they are my biggest motivators," she wrote on her LinkedIn page.

At Northrop Grumman, Dr. Farrell works within the Ebeam Lithography group, fabricating integrated circuits for radar systems as a materials process engineer. She also spearheads technical projects encompassing continuous improvement efforts, such as developing greener chemical processing and increasing process efficiency.

Dr. Farrell developed plasmonic-based visual biosensors to detect stable and denatured proteins for applications in pharmaceutics. Her dissertation work is published in Scientific Reports Nature and the Journal of the Electrical Chemical Society. As an NSF funded trainee, she contributed to interdisciplinary research with Tier 1 research institutions and presented best practices in STEM pedagogy at the National Educators Conference.